Sunday, February 22, 2026

Georgia charges suspect’s parents in massive bitcoin laundering case

TBILISI, September 30 – Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has launched criminal proceedings against the parents of Giorgi Bachiashvili, a man already convicted in a high-profile cryptocurrency fraud case. Prosecutors say that between 2015 and 2017, Bachiashvili misappropriated nearly 9 bitcoins (8,986.8675 BTC) that legally belonged to billionaire and ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili; an amount corresponding … Read more

Georgia court orders Saakashvili to repay USD 3.3m to state

TBILISI, September 29 – A court in Tbilisi has ruled that former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili and a former top security official must repay nearly 9 million lari (about USD 3.3 million) to the state budget over the alleged misuse of public funds. The decision, issued by Judge Aleksandre Gzirishvili of Tbilisi City Court, sided … Read more

Georgian president attends Trump-hosted UN gala dinner in New York

TBILISI, September 27 – Georgian president Mikheil Kavelashvili attended a formal dinner in New York hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The event was held in honor of the heads of delegations participating in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Kavelashvili shared a photo with the U.S. … Read more

Flooding hits eastern Georgia villages

TBILISI, September 27 – Torrential rains have triggered flooding in several villages of Georgia’s Lagodekhi municipality, leaving homes, farmland, and roads under water. The worst-hit areas are Verkhvisminda and Kabali, where the strong downpours caused the Areshi and Kabali rivers to overflow. First floors of houses, courtyards, and agricultural plots have been inundated, disrupting daily … Read more

Georgian minister goes on multipolar tour at UN meeting

TBILISI, September 26 – Georgia’s foreign minister Maka Botchorishvili used this week’s UN General Assembly in New York to launch a whirlwind of meetings that seemed to cover the so-called multipolar world. The outreach came as Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili told the Assembly that the UN must guide the world’s transition to a “peaceful, stable … Read more

Georgia calls for pragmatic dialogue at UN general assembly

TBILISI, September 25 – Georgia’s president used the UN General Assembly’s 80th session to call for dialogue and cooperation at what he described as a turning point in modern history. Mikheil Kavelashvili told delegates that the world is living through a transitional era, with the shape of the future international order still unclear. He said … Read more

UAE president visits Georgia, meets Ivanishvili in rare public appearance

TBILISI, September 22 – The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, paid an official visit to Georgia over the weekend, and was hosted at the private residence of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party. The event marked Ivanishvili’s first public appearance in a political … Read more

Opposition sounds alarm over landslide hit villages

TBILISI, September 18 – The joint Lelo and For Georgia candidate for mayor in landslide hit Kharagauli surveyed affected villages today, as the elections are only weeks away. Inga Maghradze was joined by Aleko Elisashvili, who is running for deputy mayor of the capital for the same two party ticket, although he is leader of … Read more

Tbilisi mayor slams opposition activist for “reminding people with crimes”

TBILISI, September 15 – Tensions in Georgia’s capital flared this weekend after police detained a prominent opposition leader over an act of vandalism targeting the ruling party’s mayoral campaign. Elene Khoshtaria, one of the leaders of the opposition Coalition for Change, was taken into custody outside her home, according to local media. Authorities said her … Read more

Ivanishvili’s lawyer accuses Western reporters of smear campaign over bitcoin case

TBILISI, September 15 – The lawyer of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder and honorary chairman of Georgia’s ruling party, has accused foreign journalists of trying to discredit his client while covering an ongoing case involving alleged misappropriation of Ivanishvili’s bitcoin holdings. In a statement released this week, lawyer Temo Tsikvadze said he had been contacted … Read more